The Colorado River is a vital resource in the United States and Mexico but is susceptible to detrimental salinity levels with salinity-related damages estimated at $385 million per year. �Over 55% of sediment and salts entering the Colorado River is of natural origin with a significant contribution from accelerated soil erosion on federal rangelands. This suggests a significant potential to reduce dissolved-solids loading to the Colorado River through land and water-management activities on rangelands. In this study, we aim to develop parameter estimation equations that are valid on saline rangeland sites for use in the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM). By combining advanced 3D reconstructions techniques with traditional soil erosion and runoff assessment on 72 in-situ rainfall simulation plots, a unique insight into sediment transport processes on sparsely-vegetated landscapes was possible leading to improved salt load predictions. Long-assumed empirical links between sediment concentration and dissolved solids (salts) were verified and provided a foundation for predicting salt load with RHEM. At the fundamental level, this research is providing a unique opportunity to accurately address topics related to hillslope connectivity, sediment delivery ratio and concentrated flow erosion.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.